[1]Everybody is susceptible to tight hamstrings[2], from professional athletes to soccer moms. People who spend long hours sitting at a desk or who have rigorous training schedules can especially benefit from a “hammie” stretch or two (or three or four).

In the simplest of terms, the hamstrings are a group of three muscles that run from the “sit” bones and extend down to the knee. They dominate the back of the thigh and are responsible for flexing and bending the knee.

Your hamstrings can get shorter or “tight” when you sit too much or when you over train your quads without counter stretching. When this happens, the hamstrings begin to pull down on the “sit” bones, making the pelvis and hips tight and flattening the low back curvature in your lumbar area. This scenario can create the following ailments: